Georgia’s ruling party official says Gov’t obliged to create legislative space to protect country from “open, declared threats”

Any responsible Government is obliged to create a legislative space and base that will protect the country from open and declared threats, said on Wednesday Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, while discussing the amendments to the Law on Grants.

“When we see the brazen policy and brazen statements, when that non-governmental center moved to Brussels and then how Brussels representatives openly tell not only Georgia, but all those countries that they want to turn into their puppets, that yes, we are looking for all kinds of ways to somehow finance that agent network and the rootless people’s association, to bypass as much as possible all the laws that you have adopted for the security of your country, for the defense of the country. When they say this to a self-respecting Government, when they say this to an independent country that thinks first of all about security, sovereignty, of course, this country will always respond and any responsible Government is obliged to provide and create such a legislative space and base that will protect its country from an open and declared threat”, Kirtskhalia said.

Kirtskhalia on Wednesday announced proposed amendments to the Law of Georgia on Grants aimed at preventing external financing of political unrest, violence, or revolutionary activities in the country.

He framed the initiative as a response to past attempts to destabilise Georgia through externally funded NGOs and opposition groups, emphasising that similar restrictive measures have been adopted in other countries.